Squandered chances
Islanders unable to cash in on opportunities against Chatham
The Chatham Ironmen capitalized on their chances and the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders did not Monday at Memorial Field.
Blake Gallagher hit a threerun triple to ice the Ironmen’s 7-0 victory as Chatham scored six runs in the fourth inning to blow open a 1-0 game in New Brunswick Senior Baseball League action.
After Nick Leggatt flew out to left field to start the fourth, the next five hitters reached base before Gallagher put the game out of reach with a base-loaded three-bagger to right-centre field.
A key play came when Nick Losier’s ground ball took a tough bounce on second baseman Grant Grady with the bases loaded to score the first run of the fourth inning.
It turned the lineup over and Orry Cook followed with a single past the drawn-in infield to make it 3-0.
“We got the groundball and didn’t make the play and those things usually kill you,” Islanders head coach Keith Craswell said. “I thought we played alright other than that one inning.”
The Islanders had their chances, but couldn’t come through with the big hit when needed.
Grady and Jesse MacIntyre had back-to-back singles to lead off the first inning and Brady Arsenault and Jordan Stevenson followed suit in the fourth. Both times the Islanders next three hitters were retired in order.
“We had guys on, but weren’t stringing any hits together and driving in any runs,” Craswell said.
The Islanders appeared to break the shutout bid in the fifth inning when Arsenault hit a deep fly ball to centre field with one out and the bases loaded, but Cook threw a dart to gun down Dillon Doucette trying to advance to third base before MacIntyre crossed the plate.
Gary Ryder went four innings for the win while Tyler King and Kevin Bowes closed out the game by allowing three hits in three innings. Ryder allowed five hits, walked one and struck out two.
Jacob Beck was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings. He
struck out three and walked two. Colin Arsenault got two outs to end the fourth before Dan O’Shea threw the final three innings of relief.
Cody Dickson was 3-for-4 with three singles for Chatham while Cook and Aaron Noel each chipped in two singles.
MacIntyre and Arsenault were each 2-for-3 for Charlottetown.
The Islanders only had one of its regular top five hitters from 2016 in Monday’s lineup. Some guys didn’t return while
Morgan MacLean is out for two weeks with an injury. It means the Isles will have to change their approach a bit from last year in order to score runs to win games.
The Islanders didn’t get through the first inning on Monday before another player was injured. First baseman Nial Hughes was hurt stretching for a throw on the first batter of the game. Arsenault replaced him after the second batter of the contest.
The Islanders went to Saint
John, N.B., on a cold, windy Saturday with a short bench and returned home with a split. It was the Isles first time on the field this season after practising indoors due to wet field conditions this spring.
“We’re not going to fret too much over it today,” Craswell said after Monday’s loss. “We’ll get out to practice a couple times this week and hopefully we’ll be better next Saturday.”
The Islanders (1-2) host the Alpines Saturday for a pair of games beginning at 2 p.m.
The verdict is in: Rookie slugger Aaron Judge is getting his own rooting section at Yankee Stadium.
Now in session, The Judge’s Chambers.
Framed by faux wood paneling, covering three rows and fashioned to fit 18 fans wearing black judicial robes with the Yankees’ logo on the front and his No. 99 on the back, this court opened on Monday night.
New York hosting Kansas City was first on the docket. Looking like a jury box, ballpark style, with proper lettering on a sign at the back of Section 104, just behind where he plays right field.
Judge leads the majors with 15 home runs, most of them hit very far and very hard. Huge at 6-foot-7, he was humbled when the team approached him with the concept. After all, this is a tradition-laden franchise that doesn’t often do things to single out players, even Bronx Bombers.
“I was shocked, you know. I was surprised,” Judge said. “I think it’s going to be a pretty cool idea that the fans will like. It will be something the fans I really think will enjoy.”
Unlike the King’s Court in Seattle for ace Felix Hernandez or the Mannywood area that once developed at Dodger Stadium for Manny Ramirez, people won’t be able to buy tickets in The Judge’s Chambers.
Instead, a cross-section of fans will be chosen to sit there. At first, those wearing Judge jerseys and T-shirts inside the stadium likely will get picked, along with their families.
The plan is to branch out for community groups, charity organizations, Little Leagues, schools, hospitals and others to occupy the space.
The section was built last week while the Yankees were on the road.
And if all goes well down the road, maybe Judge might sport a judicial robe himself.
“It’d have to be extra tall, I think,” he said, smiling. “They’d have to find an extra tall one.”